Haight Theatre
1702 Haight Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94117
1702 Haight Street,
San Francisco,
CA
94117
6 people
favorited this theater
The Haight Theatre was located in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco.
Contributed by
William Gabel, Juan-Miguel Gallegos
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Recent comments (view all 23 comments)
According to the web site “Shaping San Francisco,” the Haight/Straight Theatre was demolished in 1981.
The SSF site also has this picture of a rainy Haight Street in 1944, with the moderne bulk of the Haight Theatre looming in the middle distance.
The Haight-Ashbury district also once had a circa 1910 theatre called the Supurba, located at 1660 Haight Street. I don’t know whether or not it is listed at Cinema Treasures under some other name.
My dear departed friend Jack Reynolds, managed the Haight Theatre in the early 60’s. The interior of the theatre was very similar to the Uptown. As a ex flower child of peace, love and not war, I remember when the Haight became the Straight. The vertical marquee was painted with flowers and “delic” 60s colors at the time. The main floor seats were removed, and we would go in there for the best rock concerts ever. We went in there once to see a movie and were given a blanket to lie on the floor with. The pot smell was everywhere, free love in the balcony, who could ask for more? Later it was a church and sadly shuttered for good. My favorite memory there was going in stoned, and saw Phil Spector hanging with Margo St. James of the famous Coyote. A buddy of mine and I spoke with them. We just discussed the Straight a few minutes ago, and a buddy said “kids now days don’t know what they’re missing”. The Haight, along with Winterland, are now San Francisco pasts, but lives long in our memories.
Thanks, robertgippy, for that uplifting story. If only there was a theatre in my town today where my kids could go to get stoned and have “free” love in the balcony. I think you’ve captured what American cinema should aspire to.
Well, both those things (maybe less getting stoned if were talking pre 1950s) have been happening in the back rows of Cinemas for any number of decades.
Very true Dramatrama.I could tell you some stories from my theatre days.Saw a lot of stuff.
The Haight Theatre is listed among works attributed to architect Otto A. Deichmann in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory.
As the Haight was built in 1937 I would assume that Deichmann’s partner of that period, Mark T. Jorgensen, was also involved in the project. I’ve been unable to find a listing for Jorgensen in the AIA’s online historical directory. It’s possible he was not a member of the organization.
The Grateful Dead played here on July 23, Sept 29/30 1967
According to Variety, an attempt to run the Haight as an arthouse catering to gay audiences in 1964 met with community outrage and police harrasment. The experiment lasted less than a month.
wow what a trip to find this. I grew up in the haight from 1962 to 89 . my father started the protest against the gay theater I remember making signs in our basement and carrying them in front of the haight. I was there the last day it was a real theater.it had been renovated and it was the first day of the grand reopening and when the movie was over some kid through an apple through the screen and all of the sudden all the kids went crazy and tore the place up. I also smoked my first joint with janis joplin there when I was just eleven years old she said here you go little dude. how could I say no to her.before they tore it down me and my brothers snuck in through the roof and we took old light fixtures and I had the carpet from the lobby in my bedroom for years and the chandelier from the girls bathroom. many many memories there it was awesome. for a quarter I saw sword in the stone three times in one day.
do you still have the fixtures or pics?